Page 16 | GCSE Support - nervously waiting

Hellocatshome · 2023-06-29T20:53:34+00:00

Hopefully everyone from GCSE Support The Final Frontier can find this new thread!

TeenDivided · 20/08/2023 06:44

TeenDivided · 20/08/2023 06:36

At some places if doing both maths and FM they do maths after 1 year and then FM the following year. Not sure what I think about that really.

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Expanding a bit more. (I did 2 maths at A level back in the dark ages.)

On the one hand it gets 1 A level out of the way, so fewer exams the next year. On the other hand and extra year doing hard FM maths might make the maths A level seem easier. It also doesn't allow for slow starters into A level ways of working.

mumonthehill · 20/08/2023 06:57

@FourTeaFallOut he knew really after the January exams and he should of done something but failing was new to him. He did not bring it back and dropped Maths and resat year 12 with a new subject. He is now about to do his masters in a highly scientific field, so it does work out in the end!

FourTeaFallOut · 20/08/2023 07:27

That is really useful @mumonthehill , thanks. And a bit of much needed perspective too - so pleased it all worked out for your ds. I guess we'll just have to see how it goes.

StuntNun · 20/08/2023 09:14

I agree @TeenDivided my DS1 did Maths and Further Maths both over two years and he got an A in Maths but a D in Further Maths. I don't think he would have managed that A in one year, even with double lessons.

noblegiraffe · 20/08/2023 09:52

FourTeaFallOut · 19/08/2023 18:40

How quickly was he able to get a feel for the difficulty of the subject? Was it apparent straight away and in time to reassess his options if he'd gone down that route?

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Schools tend to have a transfer window of a few weeks where you can easily switch courses. My maths dept do an assessment, majorly focused on algebra (we set bridging work so it should all be fresh), and generally it's obvious from that whose algebra isn't up to scratch. We're not allowed to tell kids to leave, but at that point it might be strongly suggested that their talents lie elsewhere. Some stay and then have a miserable time.

Then you get other kids whose algebra is ok and they should be ok, but they just don't do enough work. This is really common. Every year we tell kids that they should be doing an hour of study out of lessons for every hour in lessons and they don't get it. They continue as they did at GCSE, turning up to lessons, half-arsing their homework, spend their study periods hanging out with their mates and then come January exams are shocked when they flunk. For some this is a kick up the arse, for others they say 'oh I just didn't revise enough' then continue as they are to end of Y12 where they then flunk again and then have a bit of a crisis.

The problem with maths A-level is that kids see it as a continuation of GCSE. But at GCSE everything was taught in lessons, they had maybe half an hour of homework a week, and revision time was built into lessons - they probably spent half of Y11 maths lessons revising, they get good maths grades and think that they can do well in maths by turning up to lessons and doing a bit of homework.
Maths A-level however is completely different. There is barely enough time to deliver the content in lessons, there is very little time for practice of methods, barely any time for 'revision lessons' and the vast majority of what used to be done in maths lessons at GCSE now has to be done at home. Kids need to be working through exercises independently, if they find they're not good at something they need to watch videos, do extra work until they are good at it.

We tell them to do it, but it takes a lot for some to realise that they actually need to do it. And then when they do realise, they're behind.

If they hit the ground running with good study habits they'll be in a much better position.

noblegiraffe · 20/08/2023 10:14

TeddybearBaby · 19/08/2023 23:11

Just wondered your opinion on what my DS’s teacher told us on parents evening @noblegiraffe…… she was very laid back and said ‘once you get a 6, my view is why not go for or 7 or 8’. She said the questions are all much the same in her view and if you can get a 6 then the world is your oyster, she seemed very fixed on the 6. Would be interested to hear your thoughts 😊

I'm not entirely sure what she means! There are some kids for whom a 6 at GCSE definitely represents the peak of their achievement. The questions aren't all the same, there are topics that I will not be teaching my grade 6 kids because it would be a waste of teaching time (e.g. finding the equation of a tangent to a circle).

NCTDN · 20/08/2023 10:15

@noblegiraffe can you recommend anything to get started with the a level maths course - ds is going to a different college so no bridging work has been given.

mumonthehill · 20/08/2023 10:25

@noblegiraffe has given such a good assessment. I wish I had read it all those years ago! I feel better armed for ds now beginning his A Level journey. I think for us it is the difference between being able to cram for GCSES and do well, but at A level this is not how to study to do well. They need to be on it from the get go.

FourTeaFallOut · 20/08/2023 10:44

That's reassuring. I really appreciate that detailed walk through noblegiraffe. I guess we'll just see how Thursday goes first, but it's good to have a clearer view of what coping with the curriculum looks like from the get go.

noblegiraffe · 20/08/2023 10:50

Here's what my school set as bridging work https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/373371-bridging-the-gap-between-gcse-and-as-a-level-mathematics-a-student-guide.docx (not the whole thing, tbf, it's quite a lot!). It should give a good idea of what they should be remembering from GCSE.

Or there are questions and videos here https://alevelmathsrevision.com/bridging-the-gap/

It's basically the algebra skills they need to be fluent in very early on in the A-level course in order to be able to access the new topics.

https://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/373371-bridging-the-gap-between-gcse-and-as-a-level-mathematics-a-student-guide.docx

Toffeesgirl · 20/08/2023 11:31

Another one yo say thank you very much @noblegiraffe

Everyone always says that the jump from gcse to A'level in Maths is huge but it's so useful to have it explained so clearly.

Now all I have to do is get DS2 to read your explanation!

jamimmi · 20/08/2023 11:50

@noblegiraffe thanks so helpful and I too will be sharing with my Dd @Toffeesgirl . She decided against Further Maths and wants to focus on 3 good alevels. Iy is always a 4th were she wants to go. I'm hopeful she gets the grades . Currently she's very worried about chemistry paper 2 normally one of her best subjects. Predicted 8 needs a 6, she said yesterday paper 2 was so bad she s hoping it's not a 5! I'm hoping she just being a bit negative.

TheTurn0fTheScrew · 20/08/2023 11:54

Many thanks @noblegiraffe - I'll share your very helpful advice with DC1.

Cobwebs5 · 20/08/2023 12:27

noblegiraffe · 20/08/2023 09:52

Schools tend to have a transfer window of a few weeks where you can easily switch courses. My maths dept do an assessment, majorly focused on algebra (we set bridging work so it should all be fresh), and generally it's obvious from that whose algebra isn't up to scratch. We're not allowed to tell kids to leave, but at that point it might be strongly suggested that their talents lie elsewhere. Some stay and then have a miserable time.

Then you get other kids whose algebra is ok and they should be ok, but they just don't do enough work. This is really common. Every year we tell kids that they should be doing an hour of study out of lessons for every hour in lessons and they don't get it. They continue as they did at GCSE, turning up to lessons, half-arsing their homework, spend their study periods hanging out with their mates and then come January exams are shocked when they flunk. For some this is a kick up the arse, for others they say 'oh I just didn't revise enough' then continue as they are to end of Y12 where they then flunk again and then have a bit of a crisis.

The problem with maths A-level is that kids see it as a continuation of GCSE. But at GCSE everything was taught in lessons, they had maybe half an hour of homework a week, and revision time was built into lessons - they probably spent half of Y11 maths lessons revising, they get good maths grades and think that they can do well in maths by turning up to lessons and doing a bit of homework.
Maths A-level however is completely different. There is barely enough time to deliver the content in lessons, there is very little time for practice of methods, barely any time for 'revision lessons' and the vast majority of what used to be done in maths lessons at GCSE now has to be done at home. Kids need to be working through exercises independently, if they find they're not good at something they need to watch videos, do extra work until they are good at it.

We tell them to do it, but it takes a lot for some to realise that they actually need to do it. And then when they do realise, they're behind.

If they hit the ground running with good study habits they'll be in a much better position.

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Excellent post, thank you.
My twin girls are just moving into year 8. I’ve printed this post out and put it into our school folder for start of A level Maths.

Windowcleaning · 20/08/2023 13:43

Another thank you to noblegiraffe. That graph with the levels of non-attendance is truly shocking. My dc go to a school with a well above average FSM student population and dd said that many teachers remarked of the disengagement of this Y11 cohort. Lots checked out some time ago.

She said that in some of the exams, there were students who didn't even open their papers. The seating arrangements meant that she often had the same girl in front of her who did this, other than turning round to ask dd if the paper was hard at some point. Really upsetting to think what will happen to those kids.

SilverGlitterBaubles · 20/08/2023 15:06

@Windowcleaning DD noted the same, so many just came to the exam hall and sat there doing nothing or spent half and hour on the paper and the rest of the time staring into space.

Windowcleaning · 20/08/2023 16:29

So depressing. I don't know whether this year was worse than previous years for this non-engagement. I sort of think so.

SheilaFentiman · 20/08/2023 16:30

DS1 is starting to get worried because of reading about the a level boundaries

AnxiousElephant77 · 20/08/2023 16:31

I think we're all feeling the same although there are some reassuring posts on here.

Purpleconcreteroad · 20/08/2023 16:35

SilverGlitterBaubles · 20/08/2023 15:06

@Windowcleaning DD noted the same, so many just came to the exam hall and sat there doing nothing or spent half and hour on the paper and the rest of the time staring into space.

There was definitely a deal of that in the OCR comp sci paper 2.....I had almost forgotten.....

StuntNun · 20/08/2023 16:47

Wow @noblegiraffe I had no idea about that. Is it the same for Further Maths as well? An hour of independent study for every hour in the classroom? My DS2 wants to go into Computing so he'll need top grades at A level.

LadyHag · 20/08/2023 17:15

Hi everyone

I'm twitching about next Thursday, dc as yet hasn't taken their head out of the sand.

Dc is a selective grammar but very much been a fish out of water, covis, massive mental health issues, pending autism assessment we are going private for (thanks to grandparents paying for it).

If dc fails there is no plan b, we are hoping they will get in at college, their mocks results were OK but now looking at a levels etc we're worried....if dc fails we don't wkniw what to do, school 6th form is ultra selective (and absolutely not on our radar) but they certainly won't offer resits....no idea what do if we get to that stage.

Sausagesandpeas · 20/08/2023 17:19

@StuntNun the sixth form my DD is hoping to go to made it very clear that this is the expectation for all Alevel subjects.

Cobwebs5 · 20/08/2023 17:31

@noblegiraffe

Could you do a similar piece for Further Maths please ?

StuntNun · 20/08/2023 17:47

Thanks @Sausagesandpeas the school my DS2 is going to barely communicated with us at all when DS1 was there so we had no idea what was expected of him. It was a nightmare with things like UCAS applications as I had to get all my information from social media.